County Invests $26.3 Million in High Road Training Partnerships for Regional Recovery and Mobility

LOS ANGELES — The LA County Department of Economic Opportunity or DEO is investing $26.3 million in a High Road Training Partnerships HRTPs to serve more than 1,600 trainees, 1,360 graduates, 1020 new hires, and yield job quality, equity, and sustainability for the region. As of September 2024, DEO and partners have launched three new HRTPs in aerospace, healthcare, and digital storytelling for immediate enrollment for 70 trainees, initiating a $2.81 million combined investment for 200 trainees overall  – made possible by the LA County Board of Supervisors and its prioritization of American Rescue Plan and Care First Community Investment dollars for youth, workers, small businesses, and major industries after the pandemic.

• The Aerospace High Road Training Partnership with Lost Angels and Training Funding Partners, a $1 million investment,will train 70 disadvantaged youth in the Antelope Valley for aerospace careers, provide the County with an Industry Landscape Report, and a 5-year Industry Strategy. The first cohort begins on September 24th with another cohort scheduled for January 2025. Interested participants can sign up for an info session here. 

• The Healthcare High Road Training Partnership with the Pilipino Worker Center, a $1.28 million investment,will train 100 people in home healthcare, assist them in securing state registration, and educate them on joining or forming a worker cooperative to improve industry standards, worker rights, and pay. Interested participants can sign up for an information session here: bit.ly/CaringWorkforceLACounty.

• The Creative Economy High Road Training Partnership with Venice Arts, a 535K investment, will train 30 youth in multimedia production through a digital storytelling pre-apprenticeship. The first cohort starts Oct.15 (with a 9/20 application deadline) and the next cohort is scheduled for Jan. 15. Interested participants can sign up for an info session here: bit.ly/DigitalStorytellingVA

LA County’s HRTPs are modeled on the California Workforce Development Board’s HRTP demonstration project, which has now awarded $248 million to 93 projects since 2017. HRTPs are partnerships that identify an industry need, lift worker voice, and deploy an employer-driven curriculum and training solution, often highlighting apprenticeships. The goal is to support a diverse and competitive pipeline of talent in growth industries, with employers who are high-road and reinvest locally, and ensure job quality, equity, and sustainability for the region and state.

Additional HRTP programs, including cohorts for new and existing programs and grant opportunities for partnerships, will be launch in 2024 and 2025. These will be available at opportunity.lacounty.gov and highlighted in weekly newsletters. Sign up for the latest at bit.ly/SubscribeDEO